Starting My Football Checklist Journey
Okay, so I stumbled across this buzz online about an “Absolute Football Checklist” for 2024. Honestly, I thought it was just another clickbaity headline at first. But hey, as someone who loves football and organizing stuff, I got curious. What is this thing? Does it actually work? I figured the best way was to dive in myself and see what the fuss was about.
My Plan of Attack
First things first, I needed to figure out what this checklist was supposed to actually do. Everyone online kept talking about it improving your game, but nobody was really saying how. I decided my test would be focusing on my weeknight practice sessions. I grabbed my notebook (yeah, old school, I know!), my phone, and headed to the pitch.
Here’s basically how I tackled it:
- Define My Goals: I’m not trying to be Messi overnight. Realistically, I just wanted crisper passing and better stamina during small-sided games.
- Break Down Drills: Instead of just “juggling drills,” I wrote down exactly what I meant: “Juggle 50 times alternating feet without dropping.” Specificity is key!
- Track Everything: Warm-up stretches, water breaks, how many successful passes in a drill, even how I felt (“legs like lead” happens!).
Hitting the Field (& Reality)
Man, theory is easier than practice! My first session trying to follow my own “absolute” checklist was a mess. I forgot my water bottle halfway through drills. My phone timer kept turning off. I dropped my notebook trying to juggle! I realized pretty fast:
- “Complete Guide” is misleading. There’s no magic universal list. Mine had to be personal.
- Flexibility is everything. My plan said “sprint drills after passing,” but if my ankle felt wonky, I switched to ball control instead. Sticking rigidly would’ve been dumb.
Making It Actually Useful
After a few frustrating attempts, I stopped trying to find the mythical “absolute” list online and focused on building my own. I learned:
- Short & Sweet Works Best. Instead of “Work on Weak Foot,” I wrote “Left foot passes ONLY for 5 mins.” Specific actions I could tick off felt way better.
- Include the Basics. Seriously, adding “Drink water every 15 mins” and “Properly lace boots” stopped small annoyances from becoming big problems.
- Review & Adapt. After each session, I’d glance at what worked and what didn’t. Did that new dribbling drill feel useful? Did I skip cool-downs because I ran out of time? Tweak the list!
What I Ended Up With (The Real Deal)
After weeks of trying, dropping, picking up, and refining, this is the checklist that works for me now:
- PRE: Check boots ✔️, Water bottle ✔️, Watch/Phone ✔️, Simple 10-min warm-up (dynamic!) ✔️
- SKILLS (Pick 3): 15 mins passing (left foot focus) / 10 mins close control drills / 50 juggles / cone dribbling ✔️
- FITNESS (Pick 1): 5 sprints / 15 mins jogging / 30 mins wall ball + movement ✔️
- SCENARIO (Pick 1): Free kick practice / Dribble past 2 cones + finish / Mini goal shooting ✔️
- POST: 5-min cool down stretch ✔️, Hydrate ✔️, Quick note on what felt good/bad ✔️
The Big Takeaway
So, the “Absolute Football Checklist”? Forget the hype. There is no perfect one-size-fits-all list out there. The real value is the process of building your own. Forcing myself to track, plan specifically, and adapt weekly genuinely sharpened my focus during training. I waste less time figuring out what to do and get more actual football in. Is it revolutionary? Nah. But it works for me, and that’s what counts. Building your own guide? That’s the absolute key.
